Terminal housing



g- 2 1970 D. HENRICI E AL 3,525,974

. TERMINAL HOUSING Filed Jan. 7, 1969 FIG. 3

IN'VENTORS: 'Didu lflwr' oi Hfgdn'cln Sal mafia +a 3Y- MP 1011 flu.

orna? United States Patent 3,525,974 TERMINAL HOUSING Dieter Henrici and Friedrich Schaefer, Neheim-Husten, Germany, assignors to Brokelmann Jaegar & Busse K.G., Neheim-Husten, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Jan. 7, 1969, Ser. No. 789,483 Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 20, 1968, 1,277,402 Int. Cl. H01r 9/00 US. Cl. 339198 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A terminal housing which comprises at least one cupshaped upper part defining a single receiving chamber and adapted for receiving screwless, contact elements equipped with contact spring tongues; a bottom is welded to the upper part and comprises a continuous, flexible band of synthetic material having securing breakthroughs disposed spaced apart from each other. Individual of the upper parts of the terminal housing are secured to the bottom in regular longitudinal spacings between the securing breakthroughs, and at least one web projection originates from the top of the receiving chamber and extends in the direction towards the band of the bottom for a clamping hold of the contact elements.

The present invention relates to a terminal housing, comprising a cup-like upper part for reception of screwless contact elements, equipped with contact spring tongues, and a bottom welded to the upper part and having a flat cross-section.

In such a multi-part, particularly two-part terminal housing, as disclosed in the German Auslegeschrift No. 1,252,775, the decisive advantage is to be seen in the fact, that contrary to one-part terminal housings, in .which the contact elements slide in laterally in longitudinal direction of the housing and in the final mounting state must be secured by additional forming work of parts of the contact elements, while now the contact elements can be inserted from the open side crosswise to its longitudinal direction, whereby they are retained safely and reliably by mounting the bottom in the housing. The mount ing work of such multi-part terminal housing is thus more advantageous and more suitable compared with onepart housings.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a terminal housing, whereby the production of such type of terminal housings is decisively simplified and thereby made more economical by forming means holding the contact elements safely in the terminal housing.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a terminal housing wherein the bottom is formed as a unitary, flexible band of synthetic material with securing breakthroughs and under circumstances with break recesses, on which band are provided individual housing upper parts with preferably one single receiving chamber only for the contact elements between the breakthroughs or recesses, as well as at least one web projection originating from the top and extending in the direction to the bottom band for a terminal holding of the contact element.

By the realization of the invention, namely the formation of the bottom of terminal housings as a passing, flexible band of synthetic material, it is brought about, that in such terminal housings a practically full-automatic mounting can be achieved, by feeding to a joint mounting location the housing upper parts equipped with contact elements, as well as the band of synthetic material, and welding together these parts at this mounting location. The fact, that the band of synthetic material forming the bottom of each terminal housing is flexible, brings about the additional advantage, that now for the first time finally mounted, these completely equipped and function-ready terminals, for example, behind the mounting location can be rolled up on a band supply, from which the operator can remove the terminals individually or also in groups for further working of such terminals.

The securing breakthroughs provided in the band of synthetic material, on the one hand, as well as the break recesses, on the other hand, make it possible, as is known from onepart pressed terminal housings, either a securing of individual or also a plurality of terminal housings on a joint mounting ledge, as well as the break-up of individual or a plurality of terminal housings from the common bottom band.

In this manner these terminal housings can be assembled extremely rationally and thus easily as to mounting, without requiring an essential manual labor.

In addition to these advantages relating to the mounting, the present invention also excells to an extreme measure concerning the structure of the housing. upper parts, namely by providing a web projection extending from the top in direction to the bottom. These web projections in the housing upper part perform namely a plurality of functions, as they serve not only to retain the screwless contact elements equipped with contact spring tongues clammingly safe and reliably in their mounting position in the housing upper part. The cause rather beyond that, that upon lifting of the contact spring tongue or tongues of the contact elements, the latter can move only along a predetermined path, and to find a safe abutment at the web projection of the housing upper part, whereby the danger of breaking up the contact spring tongues is eliminated. Finally, such web projection fulfills still a further function, namely to serve also as abutment for the connecting end of the net conduit.

All these functions, which are performed in the previously known terminals as a rule by particular elements, for example on the contact elements, are thereby suddenly dispensable. It has been obtained thereby also, to pro duce housing upper parts [which are completely unitary relative to each other, which thereby combines all requirements on the one hand concerning the housing and on the other hand concerning the contact elements.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention, which is shown by example only, will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of housing upper parts and a bottom band in superposed position;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the housing upper parts connected with the bottom band;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the housing.

Referring now to the drawing, in the shown terminal housings at first a housing upper part 10 and respectively, and a housing bottom 11 formed of a continuous flexible band of synthetic material are disclosed. In the band 11 of synthetic material securing breakthroughs 12, as well as break recesses 13 are provided either along the side edges or also additionally inside of the band. Securing breakthroughs 12 and break recesses 13 are disposed in regular spacings in longitudinal direction of the band. In the range between these breakthroughs 12 and recesses 13 individual housing upper parts 10 and 110, respectively, (as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) are welded in regular distances on the band 11, so that a preferably endless terminal band is formed, which could be wound up, by example, behind the mounting location or in any other manner be stored as merchandise.

Inside of the housing upper parts 10 and 110*, respectively, is disposed only a single chamber 14. Fromthev top 10a of the housing upper part and extending in a direction towards the bottom band 11 web projections 15 and 115, respectively, are provided. The example shown in FIG. 1 deals with a ledge-shaped web projection, which extends in longitudinal direction, as well as in crosswise direction of the housing upper part 10 and has its own height corresponding with the open height of the housing upper part. This web projection 15 can serve with its shaft portion 15a as holder for contact elements (seat shown) which are put with a guide breakthrough over the web projection 15. The edges 15b serve as abutment edges during lifting of the contact spring tongues of the contact elements, bent backwardly from the holding position (likewise not shown). Finally the edges 150 of the web projection 15 serve as abutment for the connecting ends of the net conduits (likewise not shown).

Deviating from this ledge-like web projection, also a ledge projection 115 (as shown in FIG. 4) can be realized, which ledge projection 115 comprises a central web 115 extending in the longitudinal axis of the housing upper part 110, on both ends of which end webs 116 inclined through the middle web 115 and pointing in opposite directions follow. On these end webs 116 the range 116a can serve for a clamping holding of the contact elements, while the end web sections 116a' can serve as abutment webs for the limitation of the lifting movement of the mentioned contact spring tongues of the contact elements. Finally the abutment edges 116a disposed on the opposite side can serve for the abutment of the connecting ends of the net conduits.

It is to be understood that the shown and described embodiments are merely a solution by example, thereby in particular the housing upper parts can assume a diflFerent shape, that is to say to the constructive arrangement. Important and decisive is, however, the arrangement of such individual housing upper parts on a continuous or by example a band of synthetic material fed from an extruderor the like, as a housing bottom.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A terminal housing comprising at least one cup-shaped upper part defining a single receiving chamber and adapted for receiving screwless, contact elements equipped with contact spring tongues,

a bottom welded to said upper part,

said bottom comprises a continuous, flexible band of synthetic material having securing breakthroughs disposed spaced apart from each other, individual of said upper parts of said terminal housing secured to said bottom in regular longitudinal spacings between said securing breakthroughs, and

at least one web projection originating from the roof of said receiving chamber and extending in the directiOn towards said band of the bottom for a clamping hold of said contact elements.

2. The terminal housing, as set forth in claim 1,

' wherein a said bottom has a plurality of breaking recesses spaced apart from each other at a distance equal with that of said securing breakthroughs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/ 1946 Thomas. 3/1960 Klumpp. 3/1963 Linn.

6/ 1964 Miller. 

